Virginia Tied for 11th Most Hate Groups in Country

Each year, the Southern Poverty Law Center reports on the activities of hate groups in America. Their recently released 2013 findings present a mixed picture of the presence of hate groups locally and nationally.
The good news is that the number of groups nationally dropped by 7% from 2012 to 2013. However, the overall number of hate groups (939) still reflects the third-highest since the SPLC began collecting the data in 1998.
And in Virginia, data shows that there are 26 active hate groups, tying the Commonwealth with Indiana for the 11th-most in the country. Virginia’s hate groups show up in all corners of the Commonwealth, in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Included among the groups are several White Nationalist, Neo Nazi, and Ku Klux Klan chapters.
Like the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, SPLC is “dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society.” Their research and educational resources inform VCIC’s program work as we work together to create schools, businesses, and communities characterized by understanding and respect.